Of Chapters Past
by Jezebel Parks
Summary: An innocent trip to the bookstore soon proves to open wounds Ren thought had healed long ago. With the reappearance of an old acquaintance, he is forced to come to terms with yet another person he hurt in his rebellion, and keep Pin-Mei from finding out.


Title: Of Chapters Past  
Author: lunchy (Jezebel Parks)  
Fandom: Shaman King  
Pairing: Tao Ren/Xu Pin-Mei (oc)  
Theme: #10 – "#10"  
Disclaimer: Shaman King was created by Hiroyuki Takei. All rights belong to him.

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

"Now, just to reiterate, what are the rules for being in the bookstore?"

The twins stared up at their father blankly. Pin-Mei smiled and tugged on his sleeve lightly.

"They're only four, Ren. That word is too hard for them."

He sighed. "Fine. Just to...erm...make things clear, how do you act in a bookstore?"

Lien's hand shot up. "Oh! OH! I KNOW!! PICK ME PAPA PICK ME!"

He couldn't stop the right corner of his mouth from turning up. "Yes?"

"No running! Be quiet! Don't rip the books! And the most important one – don't bother Papa while he's reading!"

"Exactly. Now go to the kid's section and do just that."

"YAY!"

Lien sprinted toward the back of the store. Her brother broke into a stiff speed walk in an effort to catch up with her. Sheng followed close behind them.

"M-Mei Mei! Father said no running!"

Pin-Mei giggled and turned to her husband. "I'll be with them when you're done. Health section as always?"

"Yes." He looked down as she leaned on his arm, then turned his head away.

"I love you," she whispered, nuzzling his shoulder.

He made a slight grunt and patted her head. Satisfied, she let go and turned to follow her children. She waved, and he raised a hand before she disappeared behind a shelf. After she was gone, he sighed and sauntered over to his favorite area in the bookstore.

There had been a book he had read about in the paper that had been praised for its revolutionary forms of training and staying fit, and that's what he was looking for. He wanted to see if it paralleled his training at all, and then have the satisfaction of explaining to his wife why it was a load of cow pie. Of course, the only exercise she knew of was an early morning stroll and the occasion treadmill run, though that usually ended with her collapsing on the walking belt or setting the speed above her capabilities and then conveniently forgetting how to slow it down again. Still, she was always the type to listen to his rants and heartily agree with him, telling him how lucky she was to have a genius for a husband.

His yellow eyes scanned the shelves impatiently. "Where the hell is it?"

"U-Um are you looking for something, sir?"

He turned to see a short, slightly chubby girl with an employee tag and a hearing piece from a radio clipped to her chest. Her hands shook as she wrung them. She looked terrified.

"I'm looking for that new fitness book people won't stop talking about."

"Oh…Well…This isn't the section I usually work in but…"

_Then why the hell did you ask to help me? Fool._

She reached up on her tip toes in an effort to grab a purple book on the second highest shelf. When she couldn't reach it, she glanced at the ladder that was a few feet away from her and shook more.

"…Huuu…."

"What?"

She jumped. "Ah, um…" She grabbed a stool on the other side of the ladder and used it to get the book, then handed it to him with a smile. "Here! Do you need anything else?"

"No."

"I'll be up at the front if you need any more help!" She walked away, letting out various, unintelligible sounds.

_That has to be one of the most socially awkward things I've ever seen._ He looked down at the book, then opened it and began flipping through it. _Idiots. Even Pin-Mei knows that whole milk isn't good for staying fit. The only people who would get a book like this are the people who have no idea what the hell they're doing._ He replaced the book and started walking in the direction of the children's area, his mission completed.

"Excuse me…"

He grit his teeth. "I said I don't need any more help."

"No, that's not—,"

He felt a hand rest on his arm and he froze for a split second. There were few people who would dare to touch him with such familiarity; Ryu, Yoh, Jun, and of course Pin-Mei. But this voice didn't sound like any of them. He quickly turned, thrusting the arm away.

A woman with light orange hair tied in a low bun meekly retracted her hand, her eyes full of quiet understanding. "Still angry, I see."

Ren narrowed his eyes. "What?"

She tilted her head. "You don't remember me, do you?"

When he didn't reply, she lifted the sleeve of her right arm and showed it to him. The kanji "shí" for "ten" was tattooed onto it. His features instantly softened, despite himself, and she smiled.

"Is it coming back to you now, Lord Ren?" she said with a small giggle.

Indeed it was. She was from the disgusting past of self-indulgence he had become accustomed to in order to help cope with the pain his father had inflicted on him. Her name was Shí, the tenth concubine to come into his possession so many years ago. It was well known that she was the one he preferred, though he had many other prostitutes throughout the few years of this lifestyle. Shí had always been the one he kept, even when he would grow bored of others and send them away.

But he eventually had done away with her, as well. After he had felt cleansed of the hatred harbored within him, he had no more use for these distractions. Shí had begged and pleaded to remain by his side, claiming to have fallen in love with him, and that she would surely die if she was cast out. Ren had simply turned his head away and requested that she be given work elsewhere. Once her future employment had been secured, she was thrown out.

Now she was here, after all these years. He was eight years her junior, putting her over the age of thirty, and he could tell from the bags under her eyes that she was overworked, and, most likely, underpaid. Her body wasn't as slender as it had been in years past, her hips having increased in size, and her chest having the slight sag of usage, which was evident through the cheap robe she was wearing.

She smiled. "How are you doing?"

"Fine…" he finally said.

She sighed happily and hugged him, throwing her arms around his neck. "I've missed you so much," she whispered. "I thought of you every day. It must be destiny for us to meet like this again."

"Yeah…"

He was looking behind him rather nervously. The children's area was in sight, and he could clearly see his children pressing the plastic buttons on a book, which then repeated quotes from the latest animated masterpiece.

"I remember those nights, every single one of them," Shí sighed into his shoulder. "You were such a fast learner. I can only imagine what you're like now…" She cupped his cheeks and turned his head back around to face her. "And I can hardly believe how handsome you've gotten, My Lord. But then, you were always blessed with a beautiful appearance."

Ren knew he couldn't do anything. It was the same as it had been with Gei Yin and her siblings. He was responsible for any pain she suffered after he had banished her, and the most he could do at the moment was not complain as she did innocent things like this. She was in her thirties with seemingly no direction. Despite himself, he couldn't find it in him to push her away.

"So, what have you been doing these past few years?" she asked cheerfully. "I'm working in a tavern now. The wages leave much to be desired, but I get free room and board for my "after hours" service, so it's livable."

"So you're still…?"

She smiled sadly. "It's really the only thing I can do. I have no training in any of the open jobs right now. I need to survive, and this is the only way I can." The smile returned as she leaned against him. "There have been so many men, but none of them can compare to you, Lord Ren." She sighed again, then looked up to see him looking over his shoulder once more.

Her smile vanished as she spied Pin-Mei leaning over to kiss her son on the forehead after Lien had accidentally hit him with the corner of a book. She saw the young boy's hair and how much he resembled the man before her, as well as the hair of his sister, and the two sets of brilliant yellow eyes they possessed. Putting it together, her head drooped.

"So it's true," she mumbled.

Ren looked back at her. "What?"

"What the girls have been saying for the past few years," she said in a low voice. "They said you got a fiancée and married her, then had children shortly after. I didn't want to believe that you'd forget about me…"

He sighed. "It's not about forgetting you, it's about moving on. I couldn't live like that anymore. The pain was bearable, and I didn't need you anymore. That's it." He forcibly moved her arms from his body and dropped them at her sides. "I was never in love with you and I will never be in love with you. I've already found the person I want to be with, and it isn't you." He turned to rejoin his family. "Please don't come before me again, Shí. I'm not the same person I was back then."

She reached out to him as he took a few steps, her eyes wide. Realizing he was leaving, she clenched the outstretched hand into a fist and glowered.

"I'll tell her everything."

Ren froze. He was sure that Pin-Mei knew nothing about the female company he had kept before she had re-entered his life, and he would rather she never did. Though he didn't want to admit it to himself, he was afraid of her reaction, that she would think less of him. He'd have to bluff his way out.

"Fine, go tell her. Knock yourself out. She already knows anything." He looked at her with a faked cocky grin.

She studied him, then her mouth turned up in a taunting smile. "I know you too well," she said, her gaze not wavering. "You think that after the time I spent with you I wouldn't be able to recognize when you were lying? Look." She took two fingers and put some light pressure below his right eye. "You have a slight twitch when you're being deceptive. It gives you away to someone like me."

Ren's breathing hitched for a moment as he grabbed her wrist and dragged her behind a shelf. "Here's what's going to happen: You're going to apologize for being smart with me, then walk out those front doors and never bother me again. Understand?"

The harlot wasn't shaken in the least. "But you're no longer my master; why should I have to listen to what you say?"

He stiffened, his grasp on her wrist tightening. "Because I don't want you coming near my family again. And you're going to obey me and respect my wishes as a former servant of mine. I gave you a home and food for years that you could have been spending on the streets. The least you can do is respect my wishes."

She ignored him. "I didn't think you'd tell her. You'd rather pretend that you grew up like a normal little boy, and that you lived a pure life full of innocence. But we both know that even your stuffed tiger carried the foul stench of rotting flesh. Are you so sure that you've fooled her? Is she really that naïve?"

Shí paused, giving her words a moment to sink in. She wanted to make sure her words hit him as hard as possible. When his gaze wavered slightly, wanting to look at his mate again, she continued.

"If she loves you so much, why do you think it's not a good thing for her to know? Shouldn't your wife love you unconditionally and accept you anyway? Why do you seem so afraid of her reaction?" Shi put her hand on his cheek. "I know everything, and I still love you. I don't care that I wasn't the only one who was sleeping with you back then."

She leaned in closer to whisper in his ear.

"We could even just leave right now. They wouldn't notice if you were gone for a few more minutes, would they? You could just tell her you were in the bathroom. Ah, that's an idea! We could just go into the bathroom and--"

A few books hit the floor. Their loud clamor caused him to jump slightly and he glanced over his shoulder again, realizing that the books must have fallen from the self on the opposite side.

He pushed her away and she fell against a shelf, sending more books to the floor. Shi held the back of her head as Ren set his crosshairs on her. Enough was enough. This woman had distracted him long enough. He was tired of her efforts to tempt him and allow his body to fall into the palm of her hands.

"Shi, I mean it. Leave. _Now_."

She looked up at him, and he could tell she was quickly preparing some purple prose to continue her act.

"Don't make me say it again, Shi."

The woman scowled as she realized that plans were all but foiled, that she wouldn't be leaving the store clinging to his arm. She bit her lip. If she couldn't have him, then the next best thing would be to punish him for banishing her to the streets, to repay him for all the pain he had caused.

"I'll scream," she murmured.

He squinted at her. "What?"

She stood up straight, gaining confidence in her threat. "Y-You heard me! I'll scream, and then people will come running. Then you won't be able to hide me from your wife anymore!" She cackled to herself, then looked up at him again. "I'm not going to let you get away from me."

Ren knew that she was beyond the reach of words, so he simply walked back to the aisle and toward the children's area. Shi grabbed his wrist and held him back.

"No! This isn't fair! I did so much for you! You can't just abandon me now! Not after all I've been through!"

He tried to shake her off. "Get your hands off me!"

"NO! I NEVER WILL! I'M NOT LEAVING! I'LL NEVER--!!"

"Oh, _there_ you are!"

Ren froze and looked up to see Pin-Mei smiling at him. He gave one last yank and broke free from the hussy's grasp. Their eyes meeting, she walked over and reached up toward the collar of his pale yellow tunic. His eyes widened in horror as she lifted a hair off his shoulder, obviously not hers.

She smiled. "Must be static electricity or something, right?"

He didn't like the mask she was wearing. It was plain to see that inside, she was seething. But unlike the whore standing behind him, she wouldn't make a scene, for she had been taught to respect her spouse and not embarrass him, no matter what the circumstances were.

She rebuttoned his collar, as Shi had undone it, and stood back to gaze at him again. She gave him a close-eyed smile. "Ren and Lien want to have you read them a book they found. I think it'd make them really happy if you went over to them."

He blinked at her. "Why don't they want you to?"

She sighed, pretending to be hurt. "I guess they don't think my voice goes well with the story. Neither does Sheng's, apparently. They specifically asked for you."

Ren looked over her shoulder to see the twins waving and holding up a picture book.

"Papa! Can you read us a story? We really want you to! You haven't done it in forever!"

"It'll be really fun, Father!"

"Puh-leeease?"

Pin-Mei continued beaming. "See? They're really excited." She tilted her head. "Indulge them?"

He tried to read her expression more. The few times she got like this, there was always a certain chill in the air. Her eyes opened ever so slightly, and he caught a glimpse of the rage they held. He had been a victim of her wrath once, and that was all it took for him to stay out of her way whenever she got like this.

"Alright, if they want me so badly."

He began walking over to the children's area, but Pin-Mei caught him in a tight embrace and pulled him down for a kiss. As she gave him one last hug, she leered at the woman watching them. She let go of him and he placed his hand on her head before passing her.

"Have fun!" she said waving. She waited until the twins had led their father to the sitting area before turning around to face the temptress. Her smile didn't waver as they stood in silence.

Shi's anger was building. She hated how she was smiling. _Why does a scrawny bitch like her get him while I'm left with nothing? It's not fair! She doesn't deserve him!_

"Are you an old friend of Ren's?" Pin-Mei asked in a cheerful voice.

Shi smiled crookedly. _I can just tell her the whole thing, then she'll abandon Ren and he can be with me instead!_ "Actually, I'm more like an ex-girlfriend, you could say."

"Oh? He never mentioned having any past relationships."

"There's a reason for that. You see, I was…shall we say…a concubine of his. We had a very intimate relationship years ago."

Pin-Mei's eyes opened slightly as she processed the information. She couldn't pretend the thought of him being with other women didn't hurt, but he had done nothing wrong since he hadn't been with her at the time, and thus no infidelity was committed. Disappointment welled up, but she tried to push it down.

_People change as they get older. He's not that person anymore_, she kept telling herself. She took a deep breath. _The only Ren I need to be concerned with is the one I sleep next to every night. His past doesn't mean anything to me._ She looked up. "That's nice."

Shi clenched her fists. Where were the tears? The visible heartache? The screaming and stalking off to confront her soon-to-be-ex-husband? "I slept in his bed most nights out of the year." Then she added with a sneer, "I was his favorite."

"Really?"

"Oh, yes. It was common knowledge. I was the one who knew all his sensitive spots, what felt the best. My techniques are unrivaled." She smiled deviously at her. "Are you sure you're satisfying him?"

Pin-Mei covered her mouth as she let out a short, girly giggle, then strolled up to the wench and gave her a stiffening glare.

"I don't give a crap," she said in a low voice. "_I'm_ Ren's favorite now. I'm the one spending every night with him. I didn't even know you existed until I heard the racket from the kids' department and crept over here to hear you trying to seduce him."

"He almost gave in," Shi lied through her teeth. "I wonder what that says about your relationship if I was able to win him over so easily."

Pin-Mei frowned and swiftly slapped the harlot across the face. "Don't lie to me. Do you honestly think I just happened upon you two? I was listening when you were hiding between the shelves.

"Obviously, you don't know him as well as you think you do. Ren isn't weak. He wouldn't give in to the likes of you. He's a loving spouse and a wonderful father, so I can understand why you want him so badly…"

Pin-Mei put her face next to Shi's, eyes burning with anger. "I'll only say this once. Stay away from my family."

Her prey blinked. How had she gone from so tame and seemingly clueless to confrontational? "W-What?"

Pin-Mei's eyes narrowed. "I worked too goddamn hard to get Ren for you to try to mess things up. I'm insulted that you think you can break the bond of trust that we share. He and I have been through more than you can imagine, and we'd never forsake the other. I know him. He wouldn't leave me for a skank like you."

Shi backed up, but Pin-Mei followed. "I don't take kindly to people taking what's mine, and my husband is no different." She grabbed the whore's arm and pulled her in. "Don't let me catch you around him again. I don't want to start a scene here, but I also have a low tolerance for your kind. Please don't make me hurt you. I'd rather my children didn't see." She backed up and smiled brightly. "Understand?" She giggled and held out her hand. "It was nice meeting you."

When the other woman didn't move, Pin-Mei grabbed the hand, shook it roughly, then threw it down, and turned and headed back to her family, but not before quickly taking a small red book from a nearby shelf.

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

That night, she gingerly sipped her tea, her nerves not yet calmed. She couldn't remember the last time she had been so angry, or when she had last hit someone, especially someone she hardly knew.

_That woman taught him everything. I'm just a follower, I just do what he tells me to. I've been trying not to feel insecure since this afternoon but..._

Her eyes lowered and she set the cup on its saucer, placing both on the table in front of her. It was late. Ren had gone to bed a short while ago, though she knew he was far from asleep. He'd also shown signs of restlessness since the undesired reunion with the prostitute. Neither knew what to say to the other, really, though it was mutually understood that they weren't mad at each other.

The large clock in the center hall tolled, but the echoes made it impossible to tell what time it was, so kept her place. Slowly, she reached into her robe and retrieved the book she had secretly bought that day. Pin-Mei bit her lip lightly as she scanned the pages before closing the book again. Her cheeks were burning, the pictures inside showing her things she'd never thought possible. She put it back in her robe and went up to the master bedroom.

Ren was turned over, his back to the door, so she slipped in as quietly as she could. The robe dropped to the floor and a silk nightgown replaced it. Remembering the book, she frantically uncovered it from the piled cloth and used the moonlight to glance at it once more. With a sigh, she shut it, her hands almost clasped together in prayer, and buried it in her lingerie drawer.

"You slammed that," her husband's voice murmured from under the covers. "Brat."

She whimpered inaudibly, then inhaled quickly, not wanting to give him the chance to go back to sleep.

"L-Let's stay up a little later."

The silence told her Ren was dissecting the sentence for all it was worth.

"Why? Did you have anything in mind?" he responded finally, trying not to show much interest.

She smiled and climbed on the bed, trying not to shiver when he opened his eyes and looked up at her.

"I want to try something."


End file.
